Face to Face with Hurricane Camill1正文Word文档格式.docx
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Face to Face with Hurricane Camill1正文Word文档格式.docx
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andwe'
reagood250yardsfromthesea.Theplacehasbeenheresince1915,andnohurricanehaseverbotheredit.We'
IIprobablybeassafehereasanyplaceelse."
4TheelderKoshak,agruff,warmheartedexpertmachinistof67,agreed."
Wecanbattendownandrideitout,"
hesaid."
Ifweseesignsofdanger,wecangetoutbeforedark."
5Themenmethodicallypreparedforthehurricane.Sincewatermainsmightbedamaged,theyfilledbathtubsandpails.Apowerfailurewaslikely,sotheycheckedoutbatteriesfortheportableradioandflashlights,andfuelforthelantern.John'
sfathermovedasmallgeneratorintothedownstairshallway,wiredseverallightbulbstoitandpreparedaconnectiontotherefrigerator.
6Rainfellsteadilythatafternoon;
graycloudsscuddedinfromtheGulfontherisingwind.Thefamilyhadanearlysupper.Aneighbor,whosehusbandwasinVietnam,askedifsheandhertwochildrencouldsitoutthestormwiththeKoshaks.Anotherneighborcamebyonhiswayin-land—wouldtheKoshaksmindtakingcareofhisdog?
7Itgrewdarkbeforeseveno'
clock.Windandrainnowwhippedthehouse.Johnsenthisoldestsonanddaughterupstairstobringdownmattressesandpillowsfortheyoungerchildren.Hewantedtokeepthegrouptogetherononefloor."
Stayawayfromthewindows,"
hewarned,concernedaboutglassflyingfromstorm-shatteredpanes.Asthewindmountedtoaroar,thehousebeganleaking-therainseeminglydrivenrightthroughthewalls.Withmops,towels,potsandbucketstheKoshaksbeganastruggleagainsttherapidlyspreadingwater.At8:
30,powerfailed,andPopKoshakturnedonthegenerator.
8Theroarofthehurricanenowwasoverwhelming.Thehouseshook,andtheceilinginthelivingroomwasfallingpiecebypiece.TheFrenchdoorsinanupstairsroomblewinwithanexplosivesound,andthegroupheardgun-likereportsasotherupstairswindowsdisintegrated.Waterroseabovetheirankles.
9Thenthefrontdoorstartedtobreakawayfromitsframe.JohnandCharlieputtheirshouldersagainstit,butablastofwaterhitthehouse,flingingopenthedoorandshovingthemdownthehall.Thegeneratorwasdoused,andthelightswentout.CharlielickedhislipsandshoutedtoJohn."
Ithinkwe'
reinrealtrouble.Thatwatertastedsalty."
Theseahadreachedthehouse,andthewaterwasrisingbytheminute!
10"
Everybodyoutthebackdoortotheoars!
"
Johnyelled."
IIpassthechildrenalongbetweenus.Countthem!
Nine!
11Thechildrenwentfromadulttoadultlikebucketsinafirebrigade.Butthecarswouldn'
tstart;
theelectricalsystemshadbeenkilledbywater.ThewindwastooStrongandthewatertoodeeptofleeonfoot."
Backtothehouse!
johnyelled."
Countthechildren!
Countnine!
12Astheyscrambledback,johnordered,"
Every-bodyonthestairs!
Frightened,breathlessandwet,thegroupsettledonthestairs,whichwereprotectedbytwointeriorwalls.Thechildrenputtheoat,Spooky,andaboxwithherfourkittensonthelanding.Shepeerednervouslyatherlitter.Theneighbor'
sdogcurledupandwenttosleep.
13Thewindsoundedliketheroarofatrainpassingafewyardsaway.Thehouseshudderedandshiftedonitsfoundations.Waterincheditswayupthestepsasfirst-flooroutsidewallscollapsed.Noonespoke.Everyoneknewtherewasnoescape;
theywouldliveordieinthehouse.
14CharlieHillhadmoreorlesstakenresponsibilityfortheneighborandhertwochildren.Themotherwasonthevergeofpanic.Sheclutchedhisarmandkeptrepeating,"
Ican'
tswim,Ican'
tswim."
15"
Youwon'
thaveto,"
hetoldher,withoutwardcalm."
It'
sboundtoendsoon."
16GrandmotherKoshakreachedanarmaroundherhusband'
sshoulderandputhermouthclosetohisear."
Pop,"
shesaid,"
Iloveyou."
Heturnedhisheadandanswered,"
Iloveyou"
--andhisvoicelackeditsusualgruffness.
17Johnwatchedthewaterlapatthesteps,andfeltacrushingguilt.HehadunderestimatedtheferocityofCamille.Hehadassumedthatwhathadneverhappenedcouldnothappen.Heheldhisheadbetweenhishands,andsilentlyprayed:
"
Getusthroughthismess,willYou?
18Amomentlater,thehurricane,inonemightyswipe,liftedtheentireroofoffthehouseandskimmedit40feetthroughtheair.Thebottomstepsofthestaircasebrokeapart.Onewallbegancrumblingonthemaroonedgroup.
19Dr.RobertH.Simpson,directoroftheNationalHurricaneCenterinMiami,Fla.,gradedHurricaneCamilleas"
thegreatestrecordedstormevertohitapopulatedareaintheWesternHemisphere."
initsconcentratedbreadthofsome70milesitshotoutwindsofnearly200m.p.h.andraisedtidesashighas30feet.AlongtheGulfCoastitdevastatedeverythinginitsswath:
19,467homesand709smallbusinessesweredemolishedorseverelydamaged.itseizeda600,000-gallonGulfportoiltankanddumpedit3~milesaway.Ittorethreelargecargoshipsfromtheirmooringsandbeachedthem.Telephonepolesand20-inch-thickpinescrackedlikegunsasthewindssnappedthem.
20TothewestofGulfport,thetownofPassChristianwasvirtuallywipedout.SeveralvacationersattheluxuriousRichelieuApartmentsthereheldahurricanepartytowatchthestormfromtheirspectacularvantagepoint.RichelieuApartmentsweresmashedapartasifbyagiganticfist,and26peopleperished.
21SecondsaftertheroofblewofftheKoshakhouse,johnyelled,"
Upthestairs--intoourbedroom!
Countthekids."
Thechildrenhuddledintheslashingrainwithinthecircleofadults.GrandmotherKoshakimplored,"
Children,let'
ssing!
Thechildrenweretoofrightenedtorespond.Shecarriedonaloneforafewbars;
thenhervoicetrailedaway.
22Debrisflewastheliving-roomfireplaceanditschimneycollapsed.Withtwowallsintheirbedroomsanctuarybeginningtodisintegrate,Johnordered,"
Intothetelevisionroom!
Thiswastheroomfarthestfromthedirectionofthestorm.
23Foraninstant,Johnputhisarmaroundhiswife.Janisunderstood.Shiveringfromthewindandrainandfear,clutchingtwochildrentoher,shethought,DearLord,givemethestrengthtoendurewhatIhaveto.Shefeltangeragainstthehurricane.Wewon'
tletitwin.
24PopKoshakragedsilently,frustratedatnotbeingabletodoanythingtofightCamille.Withoutreason,hedraggedacedarchestandadoublemattressfromabed-roomintotheTVroom.Atthatmoment,thewindtoreoutonewallandextinguishedthelantern.Asecondwallmoved,wavered,CharlieHilltriedtosupportit,butittoppledonhim,injuringhisback.Thehouse,shudderingandrocking,hadmoved25feetfromitsfoundations.Theworldseemedtobebreakingapart.
25"
Let'
sgetthatmattressup!
Johnshoutedtohisfather."
Makeitalean-toagainstthewind.Getthekidsunderit.Wecanpropitupwithourheadsandshoulders!
26Thelargerchildrensprawledonthefloor,withthesmalleronesinalayerontopofthem,andtheadultsbentoverallnine.Thefloortilted.Theboxcontainingthelitterofkittensslidoffashelfandvanishedinthewind.Spookyflewoffthetopofaslidingbookcaseandalsodisappeared.Thedogcoweredwitheyesclosed.Athirdwallgaveway.Waterlappedacrosstheslantingfloor.Johngrabbedadoorwhichwasstillhingedtooneclosetwall."
Ifthefloorgoes,"
heyelledathisfather,"
let'
sgetthekidsonthis."
27Inthatmoment,thewindslightlydiminished,andthewaterstoppedrising.Thenthewaterbeganreceding.ThemainthrustofCamillehadpassed.TheKoshaksandtheirfriendshadsurvived.
28Withthedawn,Gulfportpeoplestartedcomingbacktotheirhomes.Theysawhumanbodies--morethan130men,womenandchildrendiedalongtheMississippicoast-andpartsofthebeachandhighwaywerestrewnwithdeaddogs,cats,cattle.Stripsofclothingfestoonedthestandingtrees,andblowndownpowerlinescoiledlikeblackspaghettiovertheroads.
29Noneofthereturneesmovedquicklyorspokeloudly;
theystoodshocked,tryingtoabsorbtheshatteringscenesbeforetheireyes."
Whatdowedot"
theyasked."
Wheredowego?
30Bythistime,organizationswithintheareaand,ineffect,theentirepopulationoftheUnitedStateshadcometotheaidofthedevastatedcoast.Beforedawn,theMississippiNat
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